A demonstration of the benefits of integrated wastewater planning for controlling transient pollution

Abstract

The Urban Pollution Management (UPM) Research Programme has been the UK Water Industry's response to the need to limit the risk of transient pollution of receiving waters resulting from intermittent discharges, such as combined sewer overflows. Demonstrating that the UPM tools, such as MOSQITO, STOAT and MIKE 11, can be used to produce cost-effective and reliable solutions to practical problems is considered to be a major element in promoting the benefits of the UPM Procedure approach by eliminating the uncertainty of water quality impact associated with more traditional approaches. A demonstration of the full UPM Procedure for inland situations has been carried out in the city of Derby, in the UK, where high levels of investment are planned for both sewerage and sewage treatment.Detailed simulation models were calibrated and verified and then used with the simplified pollution modelling tool, SIMPOL, to evaluate the integrated environmental impact of a possible sewerage upgrading option. The results indicated that this option would meet wet-weather water quality, requirements at a reduced cost compared to alternatives derived from traditional planning procedures which had a high degree of uncertainty in meeting water quality objectives.